Balboa Park welcomes $1.6M community garden

A new community garden has opened in San Francisco’s Balboa Park neighborhood, the Recreation and Park Department said.

The $1.6 million Geneva Community Garden project converted an undeveloped, overgrown open space into a 60-plot garden for the community, the department said. The capital improvement project was funded by the 2008 Parks Bond.

The garden’s grand opening Saturday morning featured an inaugural tree planting, raffles and a potluck lunch, according to the department.

Community gardens are single pieces of land gardened by a group of people, usually those living in the same neighborhood, to grow fruit and vegetables, as well as decorative plants.

Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the park and recreation department said:

“We want to encourage San Franciscans to spend more time in nature because we have learned that in doing so our physical and mental health significantly improve.”

He added:

“Our department is proud to lead our citywide Urban Agriculture Program, and in concert with the communities, make edible gardens a place where residents can grow food in a fun and sustainable way.”

The 10,427-square-foot garden is the fortieth addition to the city’s community garden program, according to the department.

In addition to the Parks Fund, the project got money from a number of sources including the State Housing Related Parks Program Grants and the Open Space Fund, the department said.